As reported on Under The Radar’s website, Jarvis Cocker has teamed up with The National Trust, an organization that preserves historic buildings and landmarks in the UK. The result of this collaboration is Time to Think, a collection of found sounds and field recordings.

Obviously, then, this isn’t “music” per se…it really is a collection of ambient sounds from around different historic places in the UK. It’s a good mix of sounds, though. The first two tracks, both recorded at Belton House, are 33 seconds of feet walking up a gravel path and a minute twenty-four seconds of birds singing. It’s very relaxing.

Other interesting tracks are “Upton House-the Billiards Room,” in which someone is knocking the balls around the table, and the final two Blicking Hall tracks, both taken near clocks (one, while the clocks are chiming, and the second in the clock tower, recording the sound of the gears).

None of the tracks go on too long. That’s Cocker’s influence on this…the tracks are all long enough to be interesting, but never drone on needlessly. He gives the listener just enough to appreciate the sonic beauty of these landmarks, and no more. All of these sounds have a certain inherent music to them, even if they weren’t “designed” to be music. And that’s kind of the point of the project: to get people to appreciate the beauty of these landmarks in a way that them may have otherwise ignored. And it is beautiful.

To be honest, I probably wouldn’t have even noticed this except for Jarvis Cocker’s connection to it. I like Jarvis Cocker. And I think that’s what the National Trust is banking on, here. Well, it worked. I listened, and I’d like to visit a few of these places (especially Blicking Hall) if I ever make it to the UK. So, point National Trust.

At 33 minutes, Time to Think is an easy, relaxing listen, which you can download for free HERE.